The marchers carrying the national flag entered the state at Lakhanpur in Kathua district to move to the Valley to express solidarity with the protesting students at National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar.

District administration officials including the district magistrate and the senior superintendent of police (SSP) reached the spot and asked the marchers not to proceed further.

"Without using any force, the officials of the district administration succeeded in persuading the marchers to call off the march," the officials said.

"The marchers insisted they wanted to move to the Valley to hoist the national flag inside the NIT in Srinagar."

"After negotiations, the marchers agreed to hand over the national flag to the district administration officials who promised the flag would be hoisted inside NIT Srinagar on behalf of the marchers," they said.